---
"Thank you very much for your help, my lord. This is an offering to the gods, please accept it!"
The wealthy merchant bowed deeply to Uchiha Kagase, who was dressed in the robes of a Shinto priest, and respectfully presented a heavy bag of money with both hands, his voice full of gratitude.
In his left hand, Uchiha Kagase held a gigantic unconscious rat Yokai. With his other hand, he took the money pouch, subtly weighing it twice. A gentle smile, befitting his role as a priest, appeared on his face as he said calmly,
"Thank you for your offering. The gods will bless you and your family with peace, prosperity, and good fortune."
After exchanging pleasantries, he turned and left the bustling town under the merchant's respectful gaze.
As he headed toward a secluded mountain forest outside the city, Uchiha Kagase stored the money bag inside his Kamui dimension. Then, he unfurled a sealing scroll in his hand and muttered in a low voice:
"Seal: Life Force Resurrection Seal!"
A pale green life force was continuously drained from the rat Yokai's body, flowing into the scroll. Moments later, the Yokai turned into a withered skeleton and scattered among the fallen leaves. Uchiha Kagase put away the scroll, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his lips.
"The life force needed for resurrection is almost enough. Still, there's no rush—I'll continue gathering it. After all, there are so many Yokai in this world; I can't let them go to waste."
He looked up at the sky. The bright sun hung high above, its light piercing.
"I wonder if Kikyo has already been resurrected…"
As his thoughts drifted, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a strange thundercloud appearing in the distance. The pitch-black cloud churned violently, lightning flashing within its layers, yet the surrounding sky remained clear for miles, making its appearance extremely abrupt.
"Is that… a Yokai?"
Seeing this anomaly, Uchiha Kagase reacted immediately. Anything capable of causing such a disturbance was either a powerful Great Yokai or something related to the Shikon Jewel. Either way, it was worth investigating.
With that thought, he immediately released his Transformation Technique, revealing his Edo Tensei body. Chakra surged beneath his feet, and like an arrow shot from a bow, he sped toward the thundercloud.
Ten minutes later, Uchiha Kagase arrived at the location. By then, the strange thundercloud had already dissipated, leaving only devastation behind.
The ground was covered in lightning-struck craters of varying depths, the soil scorched and reeking of burnt ash. Corpses were scattered everywhere—mostly armored soldiers, along with oxen and horses. They had died horribly, yet none showed signs of being devoured.
"Two armies clashed and were wiped out by a Yokai," Uchiha Kagase deduced immediately as he examined the scattered weapons and differing armor. "Judging by the situation, the Yokai wasn't hunting for food—this was a massacre."
He frowned. Although he didn't particularly sympathize with the humans of this world, he equally despised Yokai that slaughtered indiscriminately.
"Pray you don't fall into my hands."
Carefully sensing the lingering demonic aura in the air, he followed its trail.
"An aura this strong is definitely valuable prey. Whether used to gather life force or obtain a new Shikon fragment, the reward will be substantial."
Following the trail, the aura moved in an almost perfectly straight line, unimpeded by mountains or rivers.
"It moves this fast… it must be capable of flight."
Channeling chakra into his feet, he dashed through forests, ran across rivers, and adhered to cliffs as if walking on flat ground. Though he couldn't fly, with the Body Flicker Technique and chakra enhancement, his speed was far from slow, and the distance between him and the source of the aura steadily shrank.
To his surprise, as he got closer, he realized there wasn't just one Yokai—but two.
Soon after, he arrived at a barren mountain where not a blade of grass grew. A mansion stood built into its slope. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the structure—with black tiles and white walls—emanated an ominous aura beneath the stormy sky.
"Found it. This must be the place."
---
Meanwhile, inside a secluded room in the mansion—
Hiten had just returned, carrying a beautiful female Yokai in his arms. He spoke casually to his younger brother, Manten:
"By the way, Manten, did you find any new Shikon Jewel fragments?"
Hearing this, Manten hesitated, a hint of guilt crossing his face as he scratched his head.
"Sorry, brother… I found one, but I couldn't resist…"
As he spoke, he pointed toward a young girl lying on a nearby bed, staring blankly—it was Kagome Higurashi.
"You couldn't resist?!" Hiten exploded in anger, his roar making Kagome tremble.
"Don't tell me you ignored the Shikon fragment just to capture this woman and let it slip away?!"
In his fury, brilliant lightning erupted from his palm. The female Yokai he had just brought back didn't even have time to react before she was engulfed, instantly reduced to charred remains.
Kagome trembled violently in terror, squeezing her eyes shut as her heart pounded wildly.
---
Outside the mansion, Uchiha Kagase suddenly sensed the intense demonic aura erupting within. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I've found them."
His figure flickered, and in an instant, he reached the room where the aura had flared. Just as he was about to push the door open, he sensed the two Yokai inside stepping out.
What intrigued him even more was Kagome's presence among them.
"Interesting… it seems I'm involved in the plot again."
Looking up at the lightning flashing above the mansion, realization dawned on him.
"Two Yokai, and these thunderclouds… the Thunder Beast Brothers, Hiten and Manten?"
With that thought, Uchiha Kagase drew the katana at his waist. Chakra flowed into the blade as crackling lightning gathered around it.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Blade!"
He wasn't sure whether the elemental interactions of this world followed the same rules as the shinobi world, but he reinforced his technique nonetheless.
During this time, he had discovered that although Yokai in this world were not particularly powerful, their physical defenses were exceptionally tough.
If he used a normal katana meant for humans, it would shatter after a few strikes against a Yokai. However, when infused with chakra, it could cut through their defenses as easily as slicing flesh.
He speculated that this was due to Yokai reinforcing their bodies with demonic power; without supernatural enhancement, it was difficult to damage them.
---
Hiten and Manten were leading Kagome out of the room, preparing to find Inuyasha and seize the Shikon Jewel, when their path was suddenly blocked by Uchiha Kagase, standing before them with his sword.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the home of us brothers!" Hiten's face darkened as he glared at Kagase with killing intent.
Uchiha Kagase raised his head. The crimson Sharingan appeared in his eyes, three tomoe slowly spinning within, radiating cold killing intent.
"Hand over the Shikon Jewel fragments, and I'll leave your corpses intact."